Rashida Tlaib threatens to punish Biden at the polls for supporting Netanyahu, a "genocidal maniac"

Rashida Tlaib is speaking out against Biden again. In her hometown of downtown Detroit, the Democratic congresswoman took the stage at a pro-Palestinian conference to send a message "loud and clear" to the president: If he does not withdraw his support for Israel, the Muslim community and its supporters will not vote for him in November.

Tlaib specifically mentioned the president's decision to reject the arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued by the International Criminal Court:

Tlaib is known for criticizing Netanyahu, whom she also called a "murderous war criminal," and the president and current Democratic candidate, whom she accused of "enabling" crimes against humanity. Her seat in Congress, in addition to the support of the other members of The Squad, made her one of the main voices of the movement trying to punish Biden at the polls. Although the heart of this effort is Michigan, it also spans to at least nine other states.

The Democrat has been involved in multiple controversies, from refusing to condemn sexual assaults by Hamas to, allegedly, being part of a group on social networks that "glorifies" terrorists. Her repeated attacks on Israel earned her criticism from her own party. She was censured by her peers in the House of Representatives and she was given the title of Antisemite of the Year 2023 by the organization StopAntisemitism.

Working alongside terrorists?

Some of the attendees were reportedly members of a group from the State Department's list of foreign terrorist organizations. The group is the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP), which was added to the list on October 8, 1997.

Wisam Rafeedie is listed on the event program as "a former Palestinian political prisoner, full-time researcher and lecturer." Various sources, such as an Amnesty International document, claim that he worked for the PFLP and that he was even arrested for his involvement.

The Jewish News Syndicate claims that Sana' Daqqa, the wife of a member of the group who recently died, was also involved. According to the same media out, a founding member of the PFLP, Salah Salah, had called the conference:

Ten speakers listed on the event program are part of the Palestinian Youth Movement (PYM), a group that describes October 7 as the day when "Gaza broke free." In a social media post, the PYM quotes Rafeedie describing Hamas as "part of the resistance of the Palestinian people":

A successful campaign?

The group's lack of support for Biden does not translate into automatic support for Donald Trump. In fact, one of the discussions at the weekend conference was titled "uncommitted votes and the fracturing of the two-party system." After chanting "There is only one solution, intifada, revolution," the panel discussed an idea established by the pro-Palestinian left that was already seen at the polls. The Biden protest vote, the percent of the Democratic primary vote going to “uncommitted” or to minor candidates, reached 13% in the Democratic primaries, according to The New York Times.

But the Michigan case indicates that the campaign may have had a real impact: 79% of the vote in majority Muslim areas was uncommitted, according to The New York Times. Although few votes usually decide whether that state turns blue or red, the NYT recognizes that "younger voters and Muslim Americans are a small share of the electorate." The impact at the national level is unknown.

Although we will have to wait until November to see the real effect of this anti-Israel crusade, some analysts claim that it has already had and is continuing to have effects on the current administration's policies.

"Historically, American leaders' support for Israel has been unwavering – until now," wrote Guy Millière, a professor at the University of Paris, in a Voz Media article. "Biden turns his back on Israel."

"The decision to heed the calls to limit or end aid to Israel is motivated largely by politics and assumptions on the part of the White House and left-wing Democrats about his faltering re-election campaign," stated Jonathan Tobin, director of the Jewish News Services. This explains the president's refusal to support an offensive in Rafah, the last terrorist stronghold in Gaza. He added, similar to what was said by Millière: "Biden has done a 180-degree turn."

"Merely cutting off some arms won’t stop the antisemitic mobs on college campuses or in the streets of American cities from calling Biden 'genocide Joe'," Tobin also said. He claims it could make him lose even more votes: